The Giant On The Mountain

This greater monster is clearly different from the last one. Many times the size of even the tallest trees, its grip on the mountain is causing it to crack. It can barely even hold the monster's weight, let alone the pressure exerted from its clutches.

Instead of having two arms and two legs, the beast appears to have 4 long, powerful arms, much like a gorilla's, with 6-fingered hands at the end. Somehow, despite the fact that it could crush several buildings with just a finger, that isn't the most terrifying thing about it.

That would undoubtedly go to its head. Or, rather, its skull. It has no skin or muscle tissue of any sort, and the deep holes in its head reveal nothing behind them. No eyes. No brain. No blood.

How do you even kill such a creature?

Well, I'm sure as hell going to try.

But first, I need to get Vol out of here.

"Vol, get to safety in the academy! Bring anybody you see on the way and fortify it!"

"R-right!"

He's a skilled magician, but not exactly a fighter. The academy is the safest place for him. It has magical tools, weapons, and tons of skilled researchers. The fact that it's floating adds to its fortification, although I doubt it'll make a big difference with this particular monster.

"Elizabeth!"

"I'm not going anywhere!"

Ha. I grin to myself. I can't help it. It's been centuries since I've really fought with someone I trust by my side.

My grin fades quickly as another deep roar from the monster shakes the ground.

How *do* we fight something like that? I still can't cast magic, and if Elizabeth is going with me, I can't lend her sword. And what if I did lend her sword? What do I cut?

The head would ordinarily be a surefire shot, since that's where the brain is kept, but if it doesn't have a brain, what do I do?

No.

My eyes glance quickly over the creature's body. Any large creature needs both a heart and a brain, and this one is especially large, so it needs to be able to pump blood all throughout the body, while still getting enough into the brain. So the best anatomical location to place both of those would be...

Directly in the center.

Looking closely, the creature's back curves upwards towards the lower back. If that's to fit the ribs, then that's where the heart must be.

If I take Elizabeth's sword, she'll be left with nothing to fight with. She would be practically useless. But she could probably slice through the stomach with some effort, now that she can use my mana via the AM-stores.

In other words: I need to be the distraction.

Okay, but how do I distract something that-

*WROARRRR*

*CRACK*

Oh. That's what that sound is.

The giant monster has leapt from the mountain with an earth-shattering roar. The mass of rock crumbled into pieces behind it, but that wasn't the cracking noise.

When it jumped, it broke the sound barrier. That was the crack.

The beast lands with a crash, right in the middle of the city. The street cracks in two and buildings turn to dust all around it. I have to yell over the whirlwind of noise for Elizabeth to hear me.

"Elizabeth! Give me one of the AM-stores! I'll distract it!"

Pulling a particularly large one off her belt, she throws it to me.

"Aim for the stomach!" I yell, as I set off in the direction of the monster.

Its body fills most of the city, so it's not a very long run. It looks like Elizabeth has already figured out my plan, as I see her sprint off to the left side of the monster, flanking it.

A creature with no eyes still needs a way to see. Some animals do this using sound, but this monster doesn't even have ears. It has something else, though. Just like all monsters, humans, and elves, it, too, has a mana store. Its mana flows across the city like thick waves.

If my theory is correct, it's periodically releasing mana to perform something similar to echolocation. That's an impressive level of mana control.

All of a sudden, a memory flashes across my mind. A muffled scream.

‎‎

"RUN!!! IT-IT'S CASTING MAGIC!!""

‎‎

If that last greater monster could use magic, then perhaps this one, too?

I start questioning my choice to rely on Elizabeth, but we're too deep in to do anything about it now. I just need to be ready to draw focused fire, in case this greater monster is somehow also able to use magic.

The AM-store in my hand glows brightly.

Suddenly, I feel something on me. Not physically, like a hand, but more like a pressure or a wave. Like something is staring at-

MOVE

Just in time, I cast my body to the side as hard as I can. A massive hand crashes down beside me, throwing me down the street like a hurricane. I bash into buildings, broken tiles, and splinters, before finally getting caught on something and falling to the ground.

The now familiar sensation of buzzing returns to my head. This is just a repeat of the last greater monster. Without my magic control, my body is just too weak. I try to move and feel a harsh spike of pain running through my arm.

Shit, it must be broken.

Using my other arm, I push myself into a standing position. I glance behind me and realize what caught me.

It's a long chain constructed of meter-thick, reinforced steel. This is one of the chains holding down the academy. I'm standing directly beneath it.